A Genetic Counselor Explains Genetics and Hereditary Disease for Fertility Patients with Dena Goldberg
Release Date: 01/30/2025
The Egg Whisperer Show
People seem to always be full of advice about fertility, and while most of it comes from a place of wanting to be helpful, not all of it is well informed or welcome. When you are trying to conceive, the last thing you want to hear is that you need to “relax.” Or “go on a vacation, drink some wine, and let nature run its course.” Am I right? In this episode, I’m sharing the types of treatments that fertility doctors offer to patients, including information about fertility pills, fertility shots, IUI, and IVF. I’m also outlining some of the natural things you can do to improve...
info_outlineThe Egg Whisperer Show
Gina Davis is the founder of Advocate Genetics and a co-founder of EM•POWER with Moxi, an education company dedicated to empowering choice in embryo donation. I’m so honored to have her joining me today on The Egg Whisperer Show podcast! Gina is passionate about impacting the growing field of genetic counseling, and has worked tirelessly to train new genetic counselors, and provide a strong foundation for fertility patients. A former fertility patient herself, she understands the challenges patients face as they try to make sense of the rapid advancements in genetics and fertility...
info_outlineThe Egg Whisperer Show
In this episode of The Egg Whisperer Show, I welcome Dr. Iris Kerin Orbuch, a renowned expert on endometriosis, to discuss the complexities and challenges of living with this disease. We explore how endometriosis affects fertility, the obstacles to early diagnosis, and the misconceptions that often delay proper treatment. Dr. Orbuch shares insights on the integrative approaches used in her practice, highlighting the importance of gut health in managing endometriosis. We also discuss the critical need for specialized surgical treatment and how endometriosis impacts overall health and...
info_outlineThe Egg Whisperer Show
Struggling with fertility is not easy. It’s important to stay positive. For example, I like to think of you being IN-fertile. As in you’re “in” the club vs. infertile meaning you’re “not” fertile. Call me crazy, but I truly believe in the fertility of everyone who walks through my door. Nobody is a number or FSH or AMH level. What do those things even mean? That’s what I want to talk to you today. 💙Do your best best to find a positive mental attitude.💙Be proactive about your preconception tests. You can find a full list of the ones to consider on my...
info_outlineThe Egg Whisperer Show
If you're one of my patients you'll know which egg quality supplements and sperm quality supplements I want you to be on. I spell it out. I will tell you the doses too. I also make my recommendations as far as which brands to get. But if you're not my patient, I want you to learn from this too. No matter where you live in the world, no matter which brands you have access to, there is a way for you to create your own egg (or sperm) quality regimen too. If you want to hear it all, and get more information about improving your egg quality, tune in to today's episode. Do you have...
info_outlineThe Egg Whisperer Show
Today, on the Egg Whisperer Show podcast, I'm excited to be joined by Dr. Andrea Vidali. He is a world renowned endometriosis specialist, surgeon, miscarriage specialist and reproductive immunologist. Dr. Vidali is the founder and CEO of Pregmune, a healthcare information company that leverages his research in the fields of IVF and its relation to miscarriage and Immunology. I’m delighted to have him join us to talk about Pregmune and the role immunological factors play in fertility. In today's interview, we are going to be talking about what fertility patients need to know about...
info_outlineThe Egg Whisperer Show
Does sperm really matter? If you've been tuning in to all of the posts this week for "Super BALLS Week" you'll know that of course it matters! It truly does take both sperm and an egg to make a baby. Today I'll review the sperm question a bit, and explain why it matters. AND, I'll give you a lot more info about how to improve sperm quality. Here's the thing: I know that guys want to hear what they want to hear. They have selective listening. I'm not kidding when I tell you that I had someone email me recently and say "My husband's sperm tested out GREAT, and when we went over the...
info_outlineThe Egg Whisperer Show
In this episode of The Egg Whisperer Show, I’m joined by Ashley Rocha, founder of Ladywell, to discuss natural approaches to balancing hormones and supporting fertility. Ashley is passionate about holistic health and provides guidance on how nutrition, lifestyle, and herbal medicine can play a key role in reproductive wellness. In This Episode, We Cover: How hormonal imbalances affect fertility and overall health The role of nutrition and lifestyle in supporting reproductive wellness How herbal medicine and holistic approaches can enhance fertility Ways to reduce stress and manage...
info_outlineThe Egg Whisperer Show
Dr. Aimee Eyvazzadeh shares how you can plan your fertility future, and create the family you dream of. Learn about your fertility options at any age, and #GetaheadofInfertility In this episode, you'll learn: - how to plan your fertility future - when you are most fertile, and how to plan knowing you have a finite number of eggs - how humans a different than bunnies in ovulation - the average amount of time that it takes a human to get pregnant - how and why abnormal pregnancies occur - about egg freezing and IVF options - discover how your egg viability goes down over time - learn about how...
info_outlineThe Egg Whisperer Show
I'm so excited to share my conversation with Dr. Ramy Ghayda, the Chief Medical Officer of Legacy, in this episode! We dive into the benefits and process of freezing sperm and discuss the incredible range of services Legacy provides, including sperm analysis, DNA fragmentation testing, and sperm storage. Dr. Ramy emphasizes the importance of male involvement in fertility planning and explains how freezing sperm can be a game-changer—not just for individuals with low semen parameters, but also for those with optimal semen quality who want to plan ahead. We also explore how Legacy supports...
info_outlineSome of the questions I know you have on your mind about genetics are:
Nothing came back on my 23 & Me test. I'm good to go, right?
Answer: Not so fast. 23&Me relies on "SNP testing," and only looks at "very specific bookmarks on very random genes." You'll want a more thorough test for preconception screening.
I don't have any history of disease in my family. Do I need to do genetic testing?
Answer: It's a good idea. There are syndromes such as Lynch Syndrome that are asymptomatic in 90% of people who are carriers. You'll want to know if you have those genetic markers before passing them on to your embryo and child.
Can you make sure my embryo doesn't have autism?
Answer: Autism is actually a description of a constellation of symptoms. So it's not an underlying condition in and of itself. There are hundreds to thousands of genetic causes to autism. We can catch some of these cases, but not all. Autism is multifactorial, meaning that many of these cases are probably caused by a combination of genetics and environment or in other words, nature and nurture together.
Thank you for joining me, Dena!
Listen on Dr. Aimee's website
Do you have questions about IVF?
The class includes a live class call where Dr. Aimee will explain IVF and there will be time to ask her your questions live on Zoom. The next call is Monday, February 10, 2025.
Find Dena's site here: https://www.denadna.com/home